Pipeline operation robot
By designing drive units adapted to different pipe diameters and equipping pipeline operation robots with dirt-blocking lenses, the adaptability and clarity issues of traditional equipment have been solved, enabling efficient inspection in complex pipelines.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511238286.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-26
AI Technical Summary
Traditional pipeline inspection equipment is difficult to adapt to different pipe diameters, and the images are not clear in dark environments. Dirt and grime contaminate the lens, affecting the accuracy of the inspection.
A pipeline operation robot was designed, equipped with a drive unit, a detection unit, and a protection unit. The detection unit includes a video acquisition module and a dirt-blocking lens. The dirt-blocking lens isolates the camera, and self-cleaning is achieved by combining cleaning gears and scraping grooves.
It enables clear imaging in different pipe diameters and dark environments, reducing contamination from dirt and improving detection accuracy and equipment lifespan.
Smart Images
Figure CN121206321A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline operation technology, specifically a pipeline operation robot. Background Technology
[0002] In the field of pipeline maintenance and inspection, accurately understanding the internal condition of pipelines is crucial.
[0003] Traditional pipeline inspection methods often have many shortcomings, such as limited inspection means, low efficiency, and difficulty in adapting to pipelines of different diameters.
[0004] The lack of efficient and accurate testing tools for complex pipeline systems poses a significant challenge to pipeline maintenance.
[0005] Ordinary testing equipment struggles to adapt to changes in pipe diameter when inserted into pipes of varying sizes, resulting in malfunctions in some pipes with special diameters.
[0006] Furthermore, in the dark environment of pipelines, traditional inspection equipment struggles to clearly capture images of the pipeline interior, making it impossible to provide accurate information for subsequent maintenance.
[0007] In addition, the inside of the pipes usually contains various kinds of dirt and grime, which can easily contaminate the lens of the detection equipment, thereby seriously affecting the clarity of the image and reducing the accuracy and reliability of the detection.
[0008] Existing patent CN218972156U discloses a pipeline operation robot and a pipeline wall thickness detection robot; the pipeline operation robot disclosed in this patent can operate inside a pipeline and can detect the pipeline wall thickness, but it does not disclose the protective structure of the probe.
[0009] Therefore, in order to improve or solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, a new pipeline operation robot is needed. Summary of the Invention
[0010] The purpose of this invention is to provide a pipeline operation robot that can reduce contamination from cameras on the robot.
[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:
[0012] A pipeline operation robot includes a robot base, on which a drive unit and a detection unit are provided;
[0013] The drive unit is used for the movement of the pipeline operation robot;
[0014] The detection unit can be used for data acquisition inside the pipeline;
[0015] The detection unit includes a video acquisition unit and / or an identification unit;
[0016] The video acquisition unit includes a video acquisition module mounted on the robot base;
[0017] The robot base is equipped with a protective unit;
[0018] The protective unit includes a placement trough at the end of the robot base, and the video acquisition module is installed inside the placement trough.
[0019] The placement trough is equipped with a sealing cover; the sealing cover is equipped with a camera hole; the placement trough is also equipped with a dirt-blocking lens; the dirt-blocking lens covers the video acquisition module.
[0020] The placement trough includes a lens rotating slot, and the video acquisition module is arranged inside the lens rotating slot. The video acquisition module is located on the side of the dirt-blocking lens closer to the robot base.
[0021] The dirt-blocking lens is connected to a rotating unit; the rotating unit can drive the dirt-blocking lens to rotate within the lens groove.
[0022] The rotating unit includes a cleaning gear, and the dirt-blocking lens has teeth on its outer periphery. The dirt-blocking lens meshes with the cleaning gear. The cleaning gear is connected to a driving component. The dirt-blocking lens is connected to the lens rotating groove through a lens limiting shaft. The dirt-blocking lens can rotate on the lens limiting shaft.
[0023] The sealing cover is provided with a scraping groove and / or a wiping pad; the scraping groove and / or the wiping pad are distributed on the side of the sealing cover near the dirt-blocking lens.
[0024] The placement trough also includes a gear groove for arranging cleaning gears; the gear groove is connected to the lens rotating groove; the sealing cover is connected to the robot base in a detachable manner.
[0025] The robot base includes a body, and a head is provided at the end of the body; the body has a multi-prism structure.
[0026] The drive unit includes multiple drive mechanisms connected to the robot base;
[0027] Each of the drive mechanisms includes a drive wheel, which is connected to a drive motor.
[0028] The drive mechanism is connected to the robot base via an adjustment mechanism; the adjustment mechanism includes a support rod, which is connected to the robot base via a connecting seat.
[0029] The identification unit includes an infrared generator and / or a radar module mounted on the robot body.
[0030] The advantages of this invention are:
[0031] This invention discloses a pipeline operation robot.
[0032] The pipeline operation robot disclosed in this invention uses a drive unit and a detection unit in combination. The drive unit enables the pipeline operation robot to be deployed and operated inside the pipeline; while the detection unit can take pictures of the inside of the pipeline, which is helpful for subsequent pipeline maintenance operations.
[0033] Meanwhile, the invention can protect the detection unit by setting up a protective unit, reducing or avoiding the camera being contaminated by dirt and grime inside the pipe. Attached Figure Description
[0034] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:
[0035] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pipeline robot monitoring vision module of the present invention.
[0036] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the pipeline robot monitoring vision module of the present invention.
[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lens slot connection structure of the present invention.
[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing cap connection structure of the present invention.
[0039] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the pipeline operation robot drive component of the present invention.
[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the motor gear connection structure of the present invention.
[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment slider connection structure of the present invention.
[0042] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 The intention to enlarge point A in the middle.
[0043] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the pipeline operation robot of the present invention in its retracted state.
[0044] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the pipeline operation robot of the present invention in its deployed state.
[0045] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the drive motor connection structure of the present invention.
[0046] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the gearbox connection structure of the present invention.
[0047] In the diagram: 1. Pipeline robot; 2. Moving wheel assembly; 3. Electrical head; 4. Video acquisition module; 5. Infrared generator; 6. Lens rotating slot; 7. Lens limiting shaft; 8. Dirt-blocking lens; 9. Gear slot; 10. Motor slot; 11. Cleaning motor; 12. Cleaning gear; 13. Sealing cap; 14. Outer sealing ring; 15. Camera hole; 16. Scraping groove; 17. Inner sealing ring; 18. Wiping pad. Detailed Implementation
[0048] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.
[0049] A pipeline operation robot includes a robot base 101, on which a drive unit and a detection unit are provided. The drive unit is used for moving the pipeline operation robot; the detection unit is used for data acquisition inside the pipeline; the detection unit includes a video acquisition unit and / or a recognition unit; the video acquisition unit includes a video acquisition module 4 disposed on the robot base 101; a protection unit is provided on the robot base 101; the protection unit includes a placement trough at the end of the robot base 101, and the video acquisition module 4 is disposed in the placement trough; a sealing cover is provided in the placement trough; the sealing cover has a camera hole 15; a dirt-blocking lens 8 is also provided in the placement trough; the dirt-blocking lens 8 covers the video acquisition module 4. The pipeline operation robot disclosed in this invention, through the coordinated use of the drive unit and the detection unit, enables the pipeline operation robot to be deployed and operated inside the pipeline; while the detection unit can capture real-time images of the inside of the pipeline, which is helpful for subsequent pipeline maintenance operations.
[0050] Meanwhile, the invention can protect the detection unit by setting up a protective unit, reducing or avoiding the camera being contaminated by dirt and grime inside the pipe.
[0051] In this invention, the robot base 101 is the main structure of the pipeline operation robot, providing the overall structural platform; and carrying the drive unit and the detection unit.
[0052] The drive unit, mounted on the robot base 101, is used to drive the robot to move inside the pipe; it is also used to support and place the robot inside the pipe. There are many types of drive units; theoretically, any device that can enable the pipe-operating robot to move inside the corresponding pipe can be used.
[0053] The detection unit set on the robot base 101 in this invention is mainly used to realize image acquisition and target recognition.
[0054] In this invention, the detection unit includes a video acquisition unit, which includes a video acquisition module 4; the video acquisition module 4 can acquire images or videos inside the pipe.
[0055] The protective unit installed on the robot base 101 mainly includes a placement sink located at the end of the robot base 101. The placement sink is mainly used for the placement of the sealing cover, the video acquisition module 4, and the dirt-blocking lens 8.
[0056] In this invention, the sealing cover is provided with a camera hole 15 to facilitate subsequent data acquisition by the video acquisition module 4 and to avoid the presence of the sealing cover affecting the use of the video acquisition module 4.
[0057] The dirt-blocking lens 8 is placed inside the sink and covers the video acquisition module 4 to prevent dirt from contaminating the video acquisition module 4. In other words, in actual use, because of the dirt-blocking lens 8, the video acquisition module 4 does not directly contact dirt, which can well guarantee the service life of the camera lens in the video acquisition module 4.
[0058] Furthermore, in this invention, the placement groove includes a lens rotating groove 6, and the video acquisition module 4 is arranged inside the lens rotating groove 6. The video acquisition module 4 is located on the side of the dirt-blocking lens 8 near the robot base 101. In this invention, the lens rotating groove 6 is a circular groove with the end face of the robot base 101 recessed inward. The video acquisition module 4 is fixed at the bottom of the stepped groove, with the lens facing the groove opening. The circular transparent dirt-blocking lens 8 is coaxially placed inside the lens rotating groove 6, covering the front of the video acquisition module 4. This arrangement ensures that the video acquisition module 4 is always isolated by the dirt-blocking lens 8, and dirt only adheres to the outside of the dirt-blocking lens 8, thereby avoiding contamination of the video acquisition module 4.
[0059] In this invention, the dirt-blocking lens 8 is connected to a rotating unit; the rotating unit can drive the dirt-blocking lens 8 to rotate within the lens rotation groove 6; the rotating unit allows the dirt-blocking lens 8 to rotate; subsequently, it can be used with a sealing cap to scrape and clean the dirt-blocking lens 8.
[0060] In this invention, there are many types of rotating units. Theoretically, it is feasible to make the dirt-blocking lens 8 rotate within the lens rotating groove 6.
[0061] In this invention, the rotating unit includes a cleaning gear 12, and the dirt-blocking lens 8 has teeth on its outer periphery. The dirt-blocking lens 8 meshes with the cleaning gear 12. The cleaning gear 12 is connected to a driving component. The dirt-blocking lens 8 is connected to the lens rotating groove 6 through a lens limiting shaft 7. The dirt-blocking lens 8 can rotate on the lens limiting shaft 7. In use, the driving component is generally a drive motor, and the cleaning gear 12 is connected to the driving component. The driving component drives the cleaning gear 12 to rotate, and the cleaning gear 12 meshes with the dirt-blocking lens 8. The dirt-blocking lens 8 has teeth on its outer periphery. Based on the above cooperation, the rotation operation of the dirt-blocking lens 8 is realized.
[0062] In this invention, the driving component is generally a micro motor 11, which is embedded in the placement groove; the cleaning gear 12 meshes with the outer edge teeth of the lens; when the motor drives the cleaning gear 12 to rotate, the dirt-blocking lens 8 rotates at low speed around its own axis in the lens rotation groove 6.
[0063] Based on the above design, the video acquisition module 4 is always isolated by the dirt-blocking lens 8, and dirt only adheres to the outside of the dirt-blocking lens 8; during the rotation of the dirt-blocking lens 8, the sealing cover can scrape the outer surface of the lens in real time to achieve self-cleaning and maintain clear imaging.
[0064] In this invention, the lens limiting shaft 7 is vertically fixed to the center of the bottom surface of the lens rotating groove 6, and the center hole of the dirt-blocking lens 8 is fitted on the shaft, which can rotate freely around the shaft and is axially limited.
[0065] The outer circumference of the dirt-blocking lens 8 is provided with teeth, forming a ring gear structure or a toothed ring.
[0066] The cleaning gear 12 is located on the side wall of the lens rotating groove 6 and meshes with the teeth of the dirt-blocking lens 8; the rotating shaft of the cleaning gear 12 is connected to the output shaft of the driving component micro motor 11.
[0067] The driving component is fixed to the side of the lens rotating groove 6. When the driving cleaning gear 12 rotates, the dirt-blocking lens 8 rotates smoothly around the lens limiting shaft 7 in the lens rotating groove 6.
[0068] Furthermore, the sealing cover in this invention is provided with a scraping groove 16 and / or a wiping pad 18; the scraping groove 16 and / or the wiping pad 18 are distributed on the side of the sealing cover near the dirt-blocking lens 8; the side of the sealing cover facing the dirt-blocking lens 8 is the inner end face, which is formed with at least one radially or arc-extending scraping groove 16 and / or at least one flexible wiping pad 18 such as felt, rubber or sponge strip.
[0069] The edge of the wiping groove 16 maintains slight pressure contact with the surface of the dirt-blocking lens 8, forming a line contact wiping blade; the wiping pad 18 also adheres to the lens surface with slight pressure for secondary wiping.
[0070] When the dirt-blocking lens 8 rotates on the lens limiting shaft 7, it passes through the scraping groove 16 and / or the wiping pad 18 in succession, realizing continuous cleaning by mechanical scraping and flexible wiping.
[0071] The scraping groove 16 first scrapes away large particles of dirt, and the wiping pad 18 then removes residual water stains or fine dust. The two-stage cleaning significantly improves the light transmittance of the lens.
[0072] The protective unit of this invention is integrated into the sealing cover. The sealing cover is designed to be detachable, making it easy to replace the worn dirt-blocking lens 8 or the wiping pad 18.
[0073] Furthermore, the placement trough in this invention also includes a gear groove 9 for arranging the cleaning gear 12; the gear groove 9 is connected to the lens rotating groove 6; the sealing cover is connected to the robot base 101 by a detachable connection; the lens rotating groove 6 is used to accommodate the video acquisition module 4 and the dirt-blocking lens 8, the gear groove 9 is located on the side wall of the lens rotating groove 6, the two are radially connected, the cleaning gear 12 is installed in the gear groove 9 and meshes with the outer peripheral teeth of the dirt-blocking lens 8.
[0074] The sealing cap is fixed to the end face of the robot base 101 by a detachable connection method such as screws, buckles or spiral locking structure, which simultaneously seals the lens groove 6 and the gear groove 9, thus providing good external protection.
[0075] In actual use, removing the sealing cover exposes the gear groove 9 and the cleaning gear 12, making it easy to maintain, lubricate or replace; after reinstalling the sealing cover, the wiping pad 18 and the dirt-blocking lens 8 are reattached, restoring the self-cleaning function.
[0076] The gear groove 9 is arranged independently to prevent dirt from directly entering the lens rotating groove 6 and extend the gear life; the sealing cover is removable, realizing "quick disassembly and quick installation", and maintenance and cleaning of gear 12 or replacement of dirt-blocking lens 8 does not require disassembling the whole machine.
[0077] Furthermore, in this invention, the robot base 101 includes a body 1, and a head 3 is provided at the end of the body 1; the body 1 has a multi-prism structure; in this invention, the robot base 101 mainly includes two parts: the body 1 and the head 3; the body 1 has a multi-prism structure, preferably a hexagonal prism, and each facet provides an installation plane for the drive unit, which facilitates the installation and fixing of the drive unit.
[0078] The machine head 3 is located at both ends of the machine body 1, and at least one end face is recessed inward to form a placement trough.
[0079] Each side of the polygonal prism body 1 can be independently equipped with a drive mechanism 2, achieving uniform circumferential load distribution.
[0080] The head 3 and the body 1 can be integrally formed or detachably connected by threads / flanges, which facilitates quick replacement of different functional heads 3 as needed.
[0081] The body 1 has a multi-prism structure, which can improve the structural strength and space utilization of the body 1, and facilitate the realization of wheel sets / support mechanisms arranged in a staggered manner at 120° or 60° around the circumference.
[0082] The head unit 3 has an independent mounting slot, which completely decouples the optical detection components from the drive unit in terms of space and function, making maintenance and upgrades more convenient.
[0083] The side of the fuselage provides a standardized mounting surface for modular expansion, which facilitates the addition of other components in the future.
[0084] In this invention, the drive unit includes multiple drive mechanisms 2 connected to the robot base 101; each drive mechanism 2 includes a drive wheel, and the drive wheel is connected to a drive motor; the drive unit is composed of several drive mechanisms 2, and each drive mechanism 2 is arranged circumferentially along the polygonal prism side of the robot base 101; in this invention, the drive wheel is generally in contact with the pipe wall during use; the drive motor is directly or through a reducer connected to the drive wheel to provide rotational power to the drive wheel.
[0085] The drive motor is connected to the corresponding edge of the body 1 and can be staggered at 120° or 60° with the side of the prism to achieve multi-point support and propulsion; the drive motor is electrically connected to the power supply and control circuit inside the body 1 to support independent or synchronous speed control of each drive wheel.
[0086] The polygonal prism sides provide a regular mounting reference, the drive wheel layout is symmetrical, the force on the body 1 is even, and the operation is more stable.
[0087] Furthermore, in this invention, the drive mechanism 2 is connected to the robot base 101 via an adjustment mechanism; the adjustment mechanism serves as a good bridge, facilitating the installation and connection of the drive mechanism 2 on the robot base 101; in this invention, the adjustment mechanism includes a support rod 107, which is connected to the robot base 101 via a connecting seat 106; the adjustment mechanism, as a bridge between the drive mechanism 2 and the robot base 101, is located between the polygonal prism side of the body 1 and the drive mechanism 2.
[0088] The support rod 107 is a rigid or light alloy tube / plate structure, and its root is fixed to the robot base 101 body 1 or robot head 3 through the connecting seat 106.
[0089] The connecting seat 106 can be an ear-type hinge seat, a dovetail slide, or a flange, enabling quick assembly, disassembly, and positioning of the support rod 107.
[0090] The connecting seat 106 enables the support rod 107 to form a standard interface with the side of the polygonal prism, facilitating batch assembly, maintenance, and replacement. The length and angle of the support rod 107 can be prefabricated or adjusted later, providing different outward radii for the drive wheel and initially meeting the requirements for variable diameter. The modular bridging structure reduces the processing complexity of the body 1 and reserves space for the subsequent addition of degrees of freedom such as extension, swing, etc.
[0091] Furthermore, in this invention, the identification unit includes an infrared generator 5 and / or a radar module disposed on the robot base 101; the identification unit is fixed to the end face of the robot head 3 of the robot base 101 and arranged on the same side as the video acquisition unit.
[0092] Infrared generator 5 emits near-infrared band light to provide active illumination for video acquisition module 4 in dark pipes;
[0093] The radar module uses ultrasonic or millimeter-wave radar for ranging, speed measurement, and pipe diameter / bend identification.
[0094] In this invention, the infrared generator 5 and / or the radar module can exist independently or be equipped simultaneously to form a composite sensing system of "active supplementary lighting + active ranging".
[0095] The control signals and power supply of the infrared generator 5 and the radar module are all connected to the main control board through the internal bus of the main unit 1 to achieve data synchronization with the video acquisition unit.
[0096] Infrared supplemental lighting ensures that video capture remains clear even in low-light environments.
[0097] The distance information provided by the radar can be used to adjust the opening angle and travel speed of the drive mechanism 2 in real time, thereby improving obstacle crossing and cornering capabilities.
[0098] The fusion of infrared and radar data can more accurately identify pipeline defects, deposits, or obstructions, improving the reliability of subsequent maintenance decisions.
[0099] Example 1:
[0100] A pipeline operation robot includes a robot body 101 with multiple drive mechanisms 2 externally arranged. Both the front and rear ends of the robot body 1 are provided with heads 3. The upper side of the front end of the head 3 is provided with a video acquisition module 4. An infrared generator 5 is provided on the left side of the video acquisition module 4, and the infrared generator 5 is located inside the upper side of the front end of the head 3.
[0101] The front end of the head 3 is provided with a lens slot 6, and the infrared generator 5 is located inside the upper side of the rear end inner wall of the lens slot 6. A lens limiting shaft 7 is fixedly connected to the center of the rear end inner wall of the lens slot 6.
[0102] A dirt-blocking lens 8 is rotatably connected to the outside of the lens limiting shaft 7, and the dirt-blocking lens 8 is rotatably connected inside the lens rotating groove 6 and located at the front end of the video acquisition module 4. The lower end of the lens rotating groove 6 is connected to a gear groove 9.
[0103] The gear groove 9 is located on the lower front side of the machine head 3. A motor groove 10 is provided at the center of the inner wall of the rear end of the gear groove 9. A cleaning motor is fixedly connected inside the motor groove 10.
[0104] The cleaning motor is generally a micro motor 11. The front end of the micro motor 11 is connected to a cleaning gear 12 via a rotating shaft, and the cleaning gear 12 meshes with the dirt-blocking lens 8. The lens groove 6 and the gear groove 9 are fixedly connected to a sealing cover by bolts.
[0105] The sealing cap 13 is located in front of the dirt-blocking lens 8 and the cleaning gear 12, and is in contact with the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8. An outer sealing ring 14 is provided on the outer side of the rear end of the sealing cap 13, and the outer sealing ring 14 seals the lens groove 6 and the gear groove 9 inside.
[0106] A camera hole 15 is provided on the upper front side of the sealing cover 13, and multiple scraping grooves 16 are provided on the left front side of the sealing cover 13. The inner wall of the cylindrical camera hole 15 and the lower inner wall of the multiple scraping grooves 16 are all chamfered at the intersection with the sealing cover 13.
[0107] An inner sealing ring 17 is provided on the outer rear end of the camera hole 15, and the inner sealing ring 17 is snapped into the inner side of the upper rear end of the sealing cover 13 and attached to the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8. Multiple wiping pads 18 are snapped into the inner right side of the rear end of the sealing cover 13, and the multiple wiping pads 18 are slidably connected to the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8.
[0108] like Figures 1-4 The illustrated pipeline operation robot monitoring vision module includes a robot base 101. Multiple drive mechanisms 2 are mounted on the outside of the robot base 101. Heads 3 are mounted at both the front and rear ends of the robot base 101. A video acquisition module 4 is located inside the upper front side of the front head 3. An infrared generator 5 is located on the left side of the video acquisition module 4, and the infrared generator 5 is also located inside the upper front side of the front head 3. The pipeline robot moves inside the pipeline via the multiple drive mechanisms 2, which can extend and retract to adapt to different pipe diameters. The pipeline robot captures video of the pipeline interior through the video acquisition module 4, which can clearly capture images of the dark interior of the pipeline using infrared light emitted by the infrared generator 5, thereby analyzing the internal condition of the pipeline and performing maintenance.
[0109] A lens rotating groove 6 is provided on the upper side of the front end of the front head 3, and an infrared generator 5 is located inside the upper side of the rear inner wall of the lens rotating groove 6. A lens limiting shaft 7 is fixedly connected to the center of the rear inner wall of the lens rotating groove 6. A dirt-blocking lens 8 is rotatably connected to the outside of the lens limiting shaft 7, and the dirt-blocking lens 8 is rotatably connected inside the lens rotating groove 6 and located at the front end of the video acquisition module 4. A gear groove 9 is connected to the lower end of the lens rotating groove 6. The gear groove 9 is located on the lower side of the front end of the front head 3. A motor groove 10 is provided at the center of the rear inner wall of the gear groove 9. A cleaning motor is fixedly connected inside the motor groove 10. The front end of the cleaning motor is rotatably connected to the cleaning gear 1 via a rotating shaft. 2. The cleaning gear 12 and the dirt-blocking lens 8 mesh with each other through the tooth groove. The lens rotating groove 6 and the front end of the gear groove 9 are fixedly connected to the sealing cover 13 by bolts. The upper side of the front end of the sealing cover 13 is provided with a camera hole 15. Since the dirt inside the pipe will contaminate the lens of the video acquisition module 4 and affect the shooting clarity of the video acquisition module 4, the video acquisition module 4 is set inside the rear inner wall of the lens rotating groove 6 and shielded by the transparent dirt-blocking lens 8. The video acquisition module 4 shoots the inside of the pipe through the dirt-blocking lens 8 and the camera hole 15 to prevent the dirt inside the pipe from contaminating the lens of the video acquisition module 4.
[0110] Preferably, the sealing cover 13 has multiple scraping grooves 16 on the left side of its front end, and the intersections of the inner cylindrical wall of the camera hole 15 and the lower inner walls of the multiple scraping grooves 16 with the sealing cover 13 are all chamfered. Multiple wiping pads 18 are snapped into the inner right side of the rear end of the sealing cover 13, and these pads 18 are slidably connected to the front end of the dirt-blocking mirror 8. Since dirt inside the pipe can also contaminate the mirror surface at the front end of the dirt-blocking mirror 8 located at the camera hole 15, affecting the image clarity of the video acquisition module 4, the cleaning motor needs to be activated during video acquisition module 4 recording. The cleaning motor drives the cleaning gear 12. The lens rotates, and the cleaning gear 12 drives the dirt-blocking lens 8 to rotate around the lens limiting shaft 7 inside the lens rotating groove 6. The dirt-blocking lens 8 rotates to the left of the camera hole 15. At this time, the dirt on the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8 will be scraped off by the edge of the camera hole 15 and cleaned multiple times by the edge of the lower inner wall of multiple scraping grooves 16. At the same time, multiple wiping pads 18 wipe the front mirror surface to make the mirror surface of the dirt-blocking lens 8 clearer. This ensures that the mirror surface of the dirt-blocking lens 8, which rotates out from the right side of the camera hole 15, remains clean and clear, ensuring the shooting clarity of the video acquisition module 4 and improving the video acquisition quality.
[0111] Preferably, the sealing cover 13 is located in front of the dirt-blocking lens 8 and the cleaning gear 12, and is fitted to the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8. An outer sealing ring 14 is provided on the outer rear end of the sealing cover 13, and the outer sealing ring 14 seals the inside of the lens rotating groove 6 and the gear groove 9. An inner sealing ring 17 is provided on the outer rear end of the camera hole 15, and the inner sealing ring 17 is snapped into the inner side of the upper rear end of the sealing cover 13 and fitted to the front end of the dirt-blocking lens 8. The front end of the lens rotating groove 6 and the gear groove 9 can be sealed by the sealing cover 13 and sealed by the outer sealing ring 14. The sealing cover 13 can be sealed at the camera hole 15 by the dirt-blocking lens 8 and the inner sealing ring 17, preventing dirt in the pipe from entering the lens rotating groove 6 and the gear groove 9 and causing contamination.
[0112] This embodiment has the following advantages:
[0113] 1. High adaptability: Multiple drive mechanisms 2 can extend and retract to change diameter, which can adapt to the internal movement of pipes with different diameters, greatly improving the versatility and applicable scenarios of the equipment.
[0114] 2. Clear image capture: The video acquisition module 4, combined with the infrared generator 5, can capture clear images inside the dark pipe, providing high-quality images for accurate analysis of the pipe's internal condition and aiding in subsequent maintenance work.
[0115] 3. Lens anti-fouling: Equipped with a transparent dirt-blocking lens 8, which can effectively prevent dirt inside the pipe from directly contaminating the lens of the video acquisition module 4. The cleaning motor drives the cleaning gear 12 to rotate the dirt-blocking lens 8, which scrapes away dirt through the camera hole 15 and the edge of the scraping groove 16. At the same time, the wiping pad 18 wipes the lens, ensuring that the dirt-blocking lens 8 always remains clean and clear, thus improving the shooting clarity and video acquisition quality.
[0116] 4. Prevention of internal contamination: The sealing cover 13 is sealed by the outer sealing ring and the inner sealing ring to prevent dirt and grime from entering the lens groove 6 and gear groove 9 inside the pipeline, further protecting the equipment from contamination.
[0117] Example 2:
[0118] The robot disclosed in this invention differs from that in Embodiment 1 mainly in the drive mechanism 2.
[0119] The pipeline operation robot disclosed in this invention mainly includes a robot base 101, on which a drive unit is provided. The robot base 101 includes a body 1 and a head 3. The body 1 is arranged in the shape of a hexagonal prism, and the head 3 is provided at both the front and rear ends of the body 1. The front end of the head 3 has a video acquisition unit and / or a recognition unit. The video acquisition unit includes a video acquisition module 4 located at the front end of the head 3. The recognition unit includes a radar module located on the lower side of the front end of the head 3. The robot base 101 is provided with six drive mechanisms 2. The six drive mechanisms 2 are respectively connected to the robot base 101 through adjustment mechanisms.
[0120] The adjustment mechanism includes a connecting seat 106 disposed on the robot base 101, and multiple connecting seats 106 are staggered on the front and middle of the robot base 101. Support rods 107 are rotatably connected to the rear end of each of the six connecting seats 106. Drive motors 202 are fixedly connected to the rear end of each of the six support rods 107. Drive wheels 201 are rotatably connected to both ends of each of the six drive motors 202 in the tangential direction of the robot head 3.
[0121] The support rod 107 has a telescopic groove 114 on the rear side near the drive unit. The inner side of the telescopic groove 114 is rotatably connected to the adjustment outer rod 115 through a connecting shaft. The center of the rear end of the adjustment outer rod 115 is slidably connected to the telescopic slide rod 116.
[0122] The telescopic slide rod 116 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the inner adjustment rod 117, and the inner adjustment rod 117 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the inner adjustment rod 117. The inner adjustment rod 118 is threadedly connected to the inner adjustment rod 118, and the inner adjustment rod 119 passes through the inner and outer ends of the inner adjustment rod 118. The inner adjustment rod 119 passes through the inner end of the connecting seat 106 and is rotatably connected to the inner end of the connecting seat 106.
[0123] The adjusting slider 118 has two limiting sliders 120 running through its interior, and the two limiting sliders 120 are located on both sides of the adjusting screw 119 and are fixedly connected between the two machine heads 3. The rear end of the adjusting screw 119 is fixedly connected to an adjusting gear 121. The adjusting gear 121 is rotatably connected to the rear machine head 3 through a second gear groove 122, and the second gear groove 122 is opened at the rear end of the machine body 1.
[0124] A motor gear 123 is provided at the middle of the plurality of adjusting gears 121, and the motor gear 123 is rolledly connected to the plurality of adjusting gears 121 and meshes with the plurality of adjusting gears 121. The rear end of the motor gear 123 is rotatably connected to the adjusting motor 124 through a rotating shaft, and the adjusting motor 124 is fixedly connected to the center of the rear end of the machine head 3 on the rear side. The front end of the telescopic slide rod 116 is provided with a contact spring 125, and is elastically connected to the interior of the rear end of the adjusting outer rod 115 through the contact spring 125.
[0125] This invention provides, for example Figures 5-8 The pipeline operation robot disclosed in this invention mainly includes a robot base 101, on which a drive unit is provided. The robot base 101 includes a body 1 and a head 3. The body 1 is hexagonal prism, and the head 3 is provided at both the front and rear ends of the body 1. The front end of the head 3 has a video acquisition unit and / or a recognition unit. The video acquisition unit includes a video acquisition module 4 located at the front end of the head 3. The recognition unit includes a radar module located on the lower side of the front end of the head 3. The robot base 101 is provided with six drive mechanisms 2. The six drive mechanisms 2 are respectively connected to the robot base 101 through adjustment mechanisms.
[0126] The adjustment mechanism includes a connecting seat 106 disposed on the robot base 101, and multiple connecting seats 106 are staggered on the front and middle of the robot base 101. Support rods 107 are rotatably connected to the rear end of each of the six connecting seats 106. Drive motors 202 are fixedly connected to the rear end of each of the six support rods 107. Drive wheels 201 are rotatably connected to both ends of each of the six drive motors 202 in the tangential direction of the robot head 3.
[0127] The pipeline operation robot is driven by a drive unit, which moves inside the pipe supported by multiple open drive wheels 201. These drive wheels 201 are driven by drive motors 202 and connected to and supported by the robot body 101 via a connecting seat 106 and support rods 107. The support rods 107 can adjust the opening position of the drive wheels 201 by rotating within the connecting seat 106, ensuring the pipeline operation robot can adapt to pipes of different diameters. The drive wheels are staggered on the front and middle of the six outer walls of the drive unit, improving the efficiency of the pipeline operation robot. The human obstacle avoidance and curve-crossing ability improves the pipeline operation robot's passability and provides stable support to prevent tilting. Since the video acquisition module 4 consists of a camera and an infrared generator 5, the pipeline operation robot can collect and analyze video inside the dark pipeline through the video acquisition module 4, and can detect the shape of the pipeline through the radar module to determine the pipe diameter and the location of bends. This ensures that the multiple drive wheels 201 can adjust their opening position at any time according to the pipe diameter and whether a bend is required, ensuring the stability of the pipeline robot's movement.
[0128] Preferably, the support rod 107 has a telescopic groove 114 on its rear side near the drive unit. An adjusting outer rod 115 is rotatably connected to the rear side of the telescopic groove 114 via a connecting shaft. A telescopic slide rod 116 is slidably connected to the center of the rear end of the adjusting outer rod 115. An adjusting inner rod 117 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the telescopic slide rod 116. An adjusting slider 118 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the adjusting inner rod 117. An adjusting screw 119 passes through the front and rear of the adjusting slider 118 and is threadedly connected to it. The adjusting screw 119 passes through the connecting seat 106 and is rotatably connected to it. Two limiting screws pass through the front and rear of the adjusting slider 118. The two limiting slide rods 120 are located on both sides of the adjusting screw 119 and are fixedly connected between the two machine heads 3. During the adjustment of the support angle of the drive wheel 201, since the adjusting slider 118 is threadedly connected to the adjusting screw 119, the adjusting slider 118 can move back and forth when the adjusting screw 119 rotates. At this time, the adjusting slider 118 pushes or pulls the adjusting outer rod 115 through the telescopic slide rod 116 and the adjusting inner rod 117. The adjusting outer rod 115 drives the support rod 107 to rotate inside the connecting seat 106 through the connecting shaft, thereby adjusting the opening position of the drive motor 202 and the drive wheel 201.
[0129] Preferably, the rear end of the adjusting screw 119 is fixedly connected to an adjusting gear 121. The adjusting gear 121 is rotatably connected to the interior of the rear head 3 via a second gear groove 122, which is located at the rear end of the drive unit. A motor gear 123 is provided in the middle of the multiple adjusting gears 121, and the motor gear 123 is tumbledly connected to and meshes with the multiple adjusting gears 121. The rear end of the motor gear 123 is rotatably connected to an adjusting motor 124 via a rotating shaft, and the adjusting motor 124 is fixedly connected to the center of the rear end of the rear head 3. A contact spring 125 is provided at the front end of the telescopic slide rod 116, and it is elastically connected to the interior of the rear end of the adjusting outer rod 115 via the contact spring 125. Since the pipe is cylindrical, multiple drive wheels 201 need to be evenly spread outside the drive unit to ensure the stable movement of the pipe robot. After the video acquisition module 4 and the radar module analyze the pipe diameter and bend position, the adjusting motor 123... 24 drives the motor gear 123 to rotate, and through the motor gear 123 simultaneously drives multiple adjusting screws 119 and multiple adjusting gears 121 to rotate, so that multiple drive wheels 201 outside the drive unit can simultaneously adjust their support positions, allowing multiple drive wheels 201 to perform the same position adjustment, ensuring that multiple drive wheels 201 can be evenly spread outside the drive unit, ensuring the stability of the pipeline robot's movement. Furthermore, the adjusting outer rod 115 and adjusting inner rod 117 can be elastically connected through the telescopic slide rod 116 and the contact spring 125, so that when the drive wheels 201 encounter obstacles, they can contract and expand through the elastic connection between the adjusting outer rod 115 and adjusting inner rod 117, improving the passability of the drive wheels 201. At the same time, the elastic connection between the adjusting outer rod 115 and adjusting inner rod 117 increases the adhesion between the drive wheels 201 and the inner wall of the pipeline, preventing the drive wheels 201 from detaching from the inner wall of the pipeline, further improving the stability of the pipeline robot's movement.
[0130] This embodiment has the following advantages:
[0131] Strong adaptability to pipe diameter and curves: Multiple drive wheels on the drive unit are staggered and spread out on the front and middle of the six outer walls of the hexagonal prism drive unit. The shape of the pipe can be detected by the radar mechanism to determine the pipe diameter and the location of the curve. The multiple drive wheels can adjust their spread position at any time according to this information, which improves the obstacle avoidance and curve crossing ability of the pipeline operation robot, thereby improving its throughput performance. At the same time, it can adapt to pipes of different diameters, ensuring that the pipeline operation robot moves stably in pipes of different diameters.
[0132] Precise and efficient adjustment of drive wheel position: The adjustment motor drives multiple adjustment screws and adjustment gears to rotate simultaneously through the motor gear, so that multiple drive wheels outside the drive unit can be adjusted in support position at the same time, ensuring that multiple drive wheels can be evenly spread outside the drive unit, thus ensuring the stable movement of the pipeline robot.
[0133] Improved passability and adhesion: The outer and inner adjustment rods can be elastically connected through a telescopic slide and a contact spring. When the drive wheel encounters an obstacle, it can contract and expand through this elastic connection, improving the passability of the drive wheel. At the same time, the elastic connection can also increase the adhesion between the drive wheel and the inner wall of the pipe, preventing the drive wheel from detaching from the inner wall of the pipe, and further improving the movement stability of the pipeline robot.
[0134] Example 3:
[0135] The pipeline operation robot disclosed in this invention differs from Embodiment 1 mainly in the drive mechanism 2.
[0136] A pipeline operation robot includes a robot base 101, which includes a body 1. The body 1 has heads 3 at both its front and rear ends. A video acquisition module 4 is located inside the right side of the center front end of the front head 3, and a radar module 105 is located inside the left side of the center front end of the front head 3. Three sets of drive mechanisms 2 are evenly distributed circumferentially at 120 degrees on both the front and rear sides of the body 1, with the three sets of drive mechanisms 2 on the front and the three sets on the rear staggered at 60 degrees. Each of the six sets of drive mechanisms 2 consists of four drive wheels.
[0137] Three connecting seats 106 are inserted into the inner side of the front and rear outer walls of the body 1, which are evenly distributed in a 120-degree circumferential direction, and the three connecting seats 106 on the front side and the three connecting seats 106 on the rear side are staggered at a 60-degree angle.
[0138] An internal adjustment motor 108 is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting seat 106 away from the machine body 1. The connecting seat is connected to a support rod 107. The support rod 107 includes an inner support rod 1071 and an outer support rod 1072. The inner support rod 1071 is fixedly connected to the outside of the internal adjustment motor 108. An outer adjustment motor 109 is rotatably connected to the end of the inner support rod 1071 away from the internal adjustment motor 108. The outer support rod 1072 is fixedly connected to the outside of the outer adjustment motor 109.
[0139] The outer support rod 1072 is fixedly connected to a drive motor 202 at the end away from the outer adjustment motor 109. Both ends of the drive motor 202 in the tangential direction of the body 1 are rotatably connected to drive gears 212 via rotating shafts.
[0140] The drive motor 202 is rotatably connected to gear boxes 213 at both ends of the body 1 via rotating shafts, and the two drive gears 212 are rotatably connected inside the two gear boxes 213 via rotating shafts.
[0141] Two synchronizing rod sleeves 214 are fixedly connected between the two gear boxes 213, and the two synchronizing rod sleeves 214 are located on the front and rear sides of the drive motor 202 respectively. A drive shaft 215 is rotatably connected inside each of the two synchronizing rod sleeves 214.
[0142] The two drive shafts 215 extend to the outside of the two gear boxes 213 at both ends and are rotatably connected to the two gear boxes 213. The four drive wheels of each drive mechanism 2 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the two drive shafts 215.
[0143] Two driven gears 216 are fixedly connected to the outside of the drive shaft 215, and the two driven gears 216 are rotatably connected inside the gear box 213 and mesh with the two drive gears 212.
[0144] This invention provides, for example Figures 9-12 The illustrated pipeline operation robot includes a body 1, with heads 3 at both the front and rear ends. A video acquisition module 4 is located inside the right side of the front center of the front head 3, and a radar module 105 is located inside the left side of the front center of the front head 3. Three sets of drive mechanisms 2 are evenly distributed circumferentially at 120 degrees on both the front and rear sides of the body 1, with the front three sets of drive mechanisms 2 staggered at 60 degrees to the rear three sets. Each of the six drive mechanisms 2 consists of four drive wheels. The pipeline operation robot can be supported and moved inside the pipeline by the six sets of drive mechanisms 2. Each set of drive mechanisms 2 can open outwards independently, and the opening length can be adjusted according to the pipe diameter or the curvature of the bend, allowing each set of drive mechanisms 2 to fit tightly against the pipe wall. This enables the robot to operate on pipelines of different diameters and to turn at bends of varying curvatures, increasing the robot's applicability and bending ability.
[0145] Preferably, each drive mechanism 2 consists of four drive wheels, and each drive mechanism 2 can be driven independently, so that each drive mechanism 2 can fit against the pipe wall through the four drive wheels and move on the pipe wall through the four drive wheels. The four drive wheels can more easily pass through obstacles on the pipe wall, thereby improving the robot's obstacle-crossing ability. At the same time, the robot can collect video through the video acquisition module 4, perform ultrasonic detection through the radar module 105, and analyze the internal conditions of the pipeline through the information collected by the video acquisition module 4 and the radar module 105.
[0146] Preferably, three connecting seats 106 evenly distributed circumferentially at 120 degrees are inserted into the inner sides of both the front and rear outer walls of the body 1. The three connecting seats 106 on the front side and the three connecting seats 106 on the rear side are staggered at 60 degrees. An internal adjustment motor 108 is rotatably connected to the end of the connecting seat 106 away from the body 1. An internal support rod 1071 is fixedly connected to the outside of the internal adjustment motor 108. An external adjustment motor 109 is rotatably connected to the end of the internal support rod 1071 away from the internal adjustment motor 108. An external support rod 1072 is fixedly connected to the outside of the external adjustment motor 109. A drive motor 202 is fixedly connected to the end of the external support rod 1072 away from the external adjustment motor 109. Both ends of the drive motor 202 in the tangential direction of the body 1 are rotatably connected to a drive motor via a rotating shaft. The drive gear 212, each drive mechanism 2 is provided with four drive wheels, and the four drive wheels can be connected to the connecting seat 106 through the inner support rod 1071 and the outer support rod 1072, and connected to the internal circuit of the machine body 1 through the connecting seat 106. Since the inner support rod 1071 can rotate inside the connecting seat 106 through the inner adjustment motor 108, and the outer support rod 1072 can rotate inside the inner support rod 1071 through the outer adjustment motor 109, and the rotation angle of the inner support rod 1071 and the outer support rod 1072 can be controlled by the inner adjustment motor 108 and the outer adjustment motor 109, so that the opening length of each drive wheel of each drive mechanism 2 can be adjusted by the rotation angle of the inner support rod 1071 and the outer support rod 1072, thereby realizing the adjustment of the opening length of each drive mechanism 2.
[0147] Preferably, the drive motor 202 has gear boxes 213 rotatably connected to both ends of the body 1 via shafts, and two drive gears 212 are rotatably connected inside the two gear boxes 213 via shafts. Two synchronizing sleeves 214 are fixedly connected between the two gear boxes 213, and the two synchronizing sleeves 214 are located on the front and rear sides of the drive motor 202, respectively. Drive shafts 215 are rotatably connected inside the two synchronizing sleeves 214, and both ends of the two drive shafts 215 extend to the outside of the two gear boxes 213 and are rotatably connected to the two gear boxes 213. The four drive wheels of each drive mechanism 2 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the two drive shafts 215, and two driven gears 216 are fixedly connected to the outside of the drive shafts 215. The two driven gears 216 are rotatably connected inside the gear boxes 213 and are rotatably connected to the two gear boxes 213. The drive gear 212 meshes and rolls, and each drive mechanism 2 can be driven individually by the drive motor 202. The drive motor 202 drives two drive shafts 215 to rotate simultaneously through the meshing and rolling of the drive gear 212 and the driven gear 216. The two drive shafts 215 simultaneously drive four drive wheels to rotate in the same direction, so that the drive motor 202 can drive the four drive wheels simultaneously. Since the four drive wheels are connected to two gear boxes 213 through the two drive shafts 215, and the two gear boxes 213 are rotatably connected to the two ends of the drive motor 202, the four drive wheels can rotate around the shaft between the drive motor 202 and the drive gear 212 outside the drive motor 202. This allows each drive mechanism 2 to move stably on the uneven inner wall of the pipe through the four drive wheels, further improving the obstacle crossing ability.
[0148] This embodiment has the following advantages:
[0149] The six sets of drive mechanisms 2 arranged on the front and rear sides of the body 1 are specifically distributed and staggered. Each set of drive mechanisms 2 can open outwards independently. The opening length can be adjusted according to the pipe diameter or the bend, so as to fit tightly against the pipe wall. It is suitable for pipe operations of different pipe diameters, which greatly improves the robot's applicability. It can also turn at bends of different bends, effectively improving the robot's turning ability.
[0150] Each drive mechanism 2 can be driven independently and consists of four small moving wheels. The drive motor drives two drive shafts to rotate simultaneously through a specific gear transmission structure, thereby causing the four small moving wheels to rotate in the same direction. At the same time, the four small moving wheels can rotate around the shaft outside the drive motor, ensuring stable movement on the uneven inner wall of the pipe and making it easier to pass through obstacles on the pipe wall, greatly improving the robot's obstacle-crossing ability.
[0151] The robot is equipped with a camera module for video capture and a radar module for ultrasonic detection, enabling it to collect information about the inside of pipelines and analyze the internal conditions, providing accurate data support for pipeline operations.
[0152] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described methods. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.
Claims
1. A pipeline operation robot, characterized in that, Includes a robot base, on which a drive unit and a detection unit are provided; The drive unit is used for the movement of the pipeline operation robot; The detection unit can be used for data acquisition inside the pipeline; The detection unit includes a video acquisition unit and / or an identification unit; The video acquisition unit includes a video acquisition module mounted on the robot base; The robot base is equipped with a protective unit; The protective unit includes a placement trough at the end of the robot base, and the video acquisition module is installed inside the placement trough. The placement trough is equipped with a sealing cover; the sealing cover is equipped with a camera hole; the placement trough is also equipped with a dirt-blocking lens; the dirt-blocking lens covers the video acquisition module.
2. The pipeline operation robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The placement trough includes a lens rotating slot, and the video acquisition module is arranged inside the lens rotating slot. The video acquisition module is located on the side of the dirt-blocking lens closer to the robot base.
3. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dirt-blocking lens is connected to a rotating unit; the rotating unit can drive the dirt-blocking lens to rotate within the lens groove.
4. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotating unit includes a cleaning gear, and the dirt-blocking lens has teeth on its outer periphery, and the dirt-blocking lens meshes with the cleaning gear; The cleaning gear is connected to a driving component; the dirt-blocking lens is connected to the lens rotating groove through a lens limiting shaft. The dirt-blocking lens can rotate on the lens limiting shaft.
5. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sealing cover is provided with a scraping groove and / or a wiping pad; the scraping groove and / or the wiping pad are distributed on the side of the sealing cover near the dirt-blocking lens.
6. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The placement trough also includes a gear groove for arranging cleaning gears; the gear groove is connected to the lens rotating groove; the sealing cover is connected to the robot base in a detachable manner.
7. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot base includes a body, and a head is provided at the end of the body; the body has a multi-prism structure.
8. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit includes multiple drive mechanisms connected to the robot base; Each of the drive mechanisms includes a drive wheel, which is connected to a drive motor.
9. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is connected to the robot base via an adjustment mechanism; the adjustment mechanism includes a support rod, which is connected to the robot base via a connecting seat.
10. A pipeline operation robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification unit includes an infrared generator and / or a radar module mounted on the robot body.